…as GDF celebrates 48th anniversary
CHIEF of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Mark Phillips, reassured ranks of the GDF and their relatives that his focus for the next year would be on academic achievements for all levels of ranks of the organisation.

Speaking yesterday morning at a church service held at Base Camp Ayanganna to mark the 48th anniversary of the Guyana Defence Force, the Chief of Staff Brigadier Phillips noted that providing defence and security to the borders of Guyana for 48 years was not a walk in the park for the Guyana Defence Force.
The GDF anniversary celebrations are being held under the theme “Consolidating and modernizing the Guyana Defence Force for total defence”, and Brigadier Phillips deemed the theme fitting because it is the creed of that august organisation. “I am a professional in the Guyana Defence Force, and service is my motto”, he declared.
Speaking to a packed auditorium which included the heads of the disciplined services, Brigadier Phillips announced that he was proud to have been given the mantle of the GDF at a time where the officers and other ranks continue to make significant progress in the delivery of the mandate of the GDF.
He said the culture of the GDF is about growing leaders for the Guyana Defence Force and the nation as a whole.
Brigadier Phillips said that each milestone offers the GDF the opportunity to reflect on where it has been, how far it has come, and the distance it intends to go. The enemy of achievement, Brigadier Phillips noted, is comfort, hence the army recognises the need for continued work.
Brigadier Phillips called for serving members of the army and those civilian officers to deal condignly with deviant behaviours of some within the army’s fold, and he asked them to protect the good image of the GDF in the eyes of the society.
Phillips said his focus, as chief of staff of the Guyana Defence Force, would be the academic education and professional development of the ranks, and he expected them to lead and embrace academic programmes as a significant part of their professional development.
Further training for all ranks must be one of the hallmarks of this present dispensation, and greater emphasis must be placed on ensuring that non-commissioned officers pass the equivalent academic educational programme level.
Phillips also stated that, for him, special attention will also be on how the GDF administers other ranks at the various army bases across the country.
Professionalism, leadership, command, responsibility and accountability will be other hallmarks of his guiding concept as he leads the force, he said.
The Brigadier said accountability demands adherence to the financial administration and audit regulation of Guyana, and support for implementation of strong internal control and audit measures throughout the GDF. As a leader, he said, one is expected to be a better manager of the public accounts and assets.
The Guyana Defence Force as a body must now quickly return to the sustained patrolling of the borders and hinterland location, possibly as a multi-agency unit or a joint operation setting.
The GDF must be more visible among the Amerindian villages and remote communities for medical outreaches and community projects, he said.
The operational residence of the GDF with the continued acquisition of the appropriate equipment and the design and conduct of its ranks is very important, he said.
In closing his address, Brigadier Phillips said he is committed to improving the present health facilities and services, the wellbeing of all ranks, and to continue focusing on quality of life issues in the provision of games and recreational facilities for the GDF.
Under Brigadier Phillips, there would also be improved barrack accommodation, unit library, Internet and WiFi hotspots on base locations, and the increase of salaries and allowances.
Yesterday’s event saw the combined members of the GDF and police choir singing, besides scripture readings and other activities appropriate to marking the anniversary of the Guyana Defence Force.

(By Leroy Smith)